Marian Walsh

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Marian Walsh was born in Roslindale, Massachusetts. She has served as a State Senator for the Suffolk and Norfolk Districts for six terms in the Massachusetts State Senate and was promoted to the position of Assistant Majority Leader in early 2003. She was the first woman from her district to serve in both the House of Representatives and in the State Senate.

1 Education
2 Career
3 Awards
4 Issues
5 External links

[edit] Education

Walsh graduated from Ursuline Academy and Newton College of the Sacred Heart with a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and American Studies, and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Theological Studies from the Harvard Divinity School. She also achieved a Juris Doctor degree from Suffolk University Law School. She has been a guest lecturer at Suffolk Law School, Boston College, Boston College Law School, and Salem State College.

[edit] Career

Whilst working as Chief Administrator at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, she established the Victim/Witness Assistance Program, the Homicide Response Team, and the first full-time, permanent Organized Crime Division. Following this she moved to become Assistant Director of Governmental Relations for the Massachusetts Medical Society. Walsh served the 10th Suffolk District in the House of Representatives between 1988-1992.

Before she became Assistant Majority Leader she served as Senate Chair of the Joint Legislative Committees on Taxation, Banks and Banking, Public Service, Criminal Justice, Ways and Means Committee, Committee on Education and the Committee on Housing and Urban Development.

In 2004 Walshed faced independent Bob Joyce in the general election and won every precinct in the district, despite having made the very difficult decision to support gay marriage (an intensely divisive issue).

Walsh's Republican challenger for the 2006 elections was Douglas E. Obey of Westwood, Massachusetts. As in 2004, her election victory was decisive. Obey, who had previously lost a bid for Selectman in Westwood, was unable to gain traction during the campaign, and lost every town in the district. The final vote margin was 69-31%, with a spread of over 20,000 votes.

[edit] Awards

She has been named Legislator of the Year from a variety of groups including the Environmental League of Massachusetts, the State Police Association, the YMCA, the Alzheimer’s Association of Eastern Massachusetts, and the ALS Society of Massachusetts. In 2003, she was included in the list of "Boston's 100 Most Powerful Women" by Boston Magazine.